In this episode, I cover the International Residential Code (IRC) and its relevance to California's standards. California doesn’t require bedrooms to have closets, though many buyers prefer them. To qualify as a bedroom, a room must be at least 70 square feet, have natural light covering 8% of the floor area, allow for natural ventilation, include …

It’s an election year, and if you're thinking about buying or selling a home, you might wonder if elections affect the housing market. In the past, they’ve had only a small impact on the decision to buy or sell a home. Here’s what typically happens.By Michele Replogle

By Michele Replogle

Thinking of buying a beach rental what you need to know from rental laws, taxes and areas that it is allowed. Not as easy as it would seem. Gabrielle Coppel works with me at Coldwell Banker Realty and specializes in Ocean front properties and knows the ins and outs of beach rentals in the Santa Cruz county area.…

Santa Cruz Real Estate Market Update for April, statistics, where money walks, see who is coming here and where are people moving to, link below. And a gift! Use this equity tracker so you can see how much your home is worth any time. link here 👉https://hmbt.co/PnmPVU https://www.howmoneywalks.com/irs-tax... Latest Buyer Guide for 2023- Seller Guid…

This episode explains the purpose of a home inspection who orders them, what is the scope of the inspection and we also discuss if provided a report should a buyer get their own inspection. Jack Mancarella American Inspection Service 831-588-3854By Michele Replogle

Sometimes real estate agents just cannot tell the truth or the whole truth and I explain here why sometimes as real estate agents we are bound by law to not tell all we know as we could be infringing on other's rights or be considered to be acting in a discriminatory manner. I explain here.By Michele Replogle

What does ADU Stand for what is it and how can I get one? Additional Dwelling Units have been known by many names: granny flats, in-law units, backyard cottages, secondary units and more. In this video I talk with Ray Guanill of Nonna Homes he goes over how they are built, cost and different aspects of ADU's and bonus his company helps with financi…

Market Update for March 2023. Want to know what the market is doing right now, it is all here from statistics, to predictions and stay until the end where I give the market update you need to know now. Click here for my new buyer's guide for buying in Santa Cruz https://live-the-santa-cruz-life.ck.page/buyerguide…

This episode I welcome Roxanne Olson, Trust attorney with Fine Point Law to help with my goal of getting more homeowners to understand the importance of trusts! She is with Fine Point Law and is the most down to earth, warm, thoughtful attorney I think I have ever spoken with. This is a must hear episode! Make sure to listen for the one reason you …

Brian Dean is my guest he explains mortgage buydowns, why now is a good time to buy and a prediction for the Spring. There are links included to look over how it is better to buy now and how a seller buy down works. Brian Dean Senior Mortgage Advisor M 408.489.0952 D 831.600.4706 W TheBrianDeanTeam.com E brian.dean@myccmortgage.com…

If you have owned a property for a long time and it has been an investment property, or vacant, and you have a lot of equity, there are two ways in which you might consider selling it to avoid taxes and avoiding benefit curtailment. Why do it: The upsides of the installment sale . Why not do it: Downsides of owner financing. This could be a way to …

Market Update for January 2023, where we were, where we are, and where we are going! I do a year-end round up, appreciation rate for real estate for 2022, and why this market will be busy as ever despite the financial news!By Michele Replogle

Wondering about the weather in Santa Cruz? Thinking of buying here? I explain what you need to think about when buying in the area. We have lots of micro climates and physical geography that makes this area unique and beautiful yet these same elements can cause problems.By Michele Replogle

2023 might be another doozy of a year here in Santa Cruz, I tell a story of a buyer looking at a property and what happened all within about 24 hours.By Michele Replogle

2023 Real Estate Forecast with a guest my broker Greg Mann of Coldwell Banker Realty. We discuss the market what happened this year, Prop 19 which did not change the real estate inventory as expected, and while prices did stay flat they did not go down. Then we discuss how the market may sneak up on buyers and sellers. My guest is my broker, Greg M…

Foreclosures on the rise? What is happening in this segment of the market? Here we explain the foreclosure process, what that means to people in foreclosure or pre-foreclosure, we talk about changes that may impact the consumer regarding foreclosure proceedings. We also explore the process of how to buy a foreclosure on the courthouse steps and why…

#SantaCruzRealEstate #livethesantacruzlife Market Update for November. What is the real estate market doing? Projections for 2023, why are some real estate markets going down and Santa Cruz county isn't? This is local real estate information you need if you are going to buy or sell in Santa Cruz county. https://fortune.com/2022/11/13/pandemic-housi…

Buying a Foreclosure in California How to buy a foreclosed home in California, buy a pre-foreclosed home, or short sale. Maybe you need to sell your home and you have not made a payment, this is the video for you! Useful link below for you too! California Foreclosure and Short sale info: https://www.courts.ca.gov/1048.htm?rdeLocaleAttr=en Subscribe…

What happens to homeowners when the market crashes? The market is definitely changing does that mean people will lose their homes? What does it mean when the market shifts? I discuss a few things I am seeing and I explain them. I also discuss short sales and foreclosures please make sure to call me if you are having trouble with your mortgage payme…

Don't miss this episode where a local lender Brian Dean explains how the mortgage rates are not the Federal Funds rate, why he thinks rates are going to go down, and how to ask a seller help you get into their house. Very informative! Brian Dean has been in the mortgage industry serving Santa Cruz County for 25 years. I am available 24/7 to answer …

Cash offers in Real Estate- is cash really king? In this video I discuss what you need to know about cash offers from a seller perspective and a buyer side. Stay to the end I will tell a secret about cash offers.By Michele Replogle

What does a real estate agent do? What is the job description, it is not all getting your nails done and fancy cars! We have so much we do and don't do! We help with home selling by: Pricing Preparation Marketing Collaboration Negotiation Getting it all done, keeping it together is job one! Here are some silly things I found for our job description…

Buying a Beach Home in Santa Cruz takes some research, what kind of beach home do you want, where, it is more than just living by the beach, there is beach front, ocean view, ocean front, I explain it all here. A little bit of story time and some things to think about buying a beach home in Santa Cruz.…

Real Estate market update for Santa Cruz! The market is NOT slowing as national news would have you believe! Remember REAL ESTATE is local and this update is for Santa Cruz. Buyers are buying and sellers are selling! The market is still moving along! #SantaCruzRealEstateBy Michele Replogle

Why did I name my podcast the Realtor Lady I explain here and explain the explosion of cellphones in real estate.By Michele Replogle

"Home is your secret super power" This episode addresses the power of home and I believe it can help us with the stress of life. Lynlea West describes how she help people design their home asking them how they want to feel. We also talk about how to help with overwhelm in design and focus them on their space when looking online Pinterest and the li…

A home should nurture you, recharge you and make you feel safe. Look around is your home giving you the fuel you need? I explain with a little story of the importance of home.By Michele Replogle

Because the Real Estate market is changing so fast I outline here what it takes to sell and buy right now, I talk about my current listings and what activity they have had and what buyers and sellers are doing.By Michele Replogle

This episode we talk about new construction in Texas, what the differences are, they do a live a bit like the wild west, if you are moving to Texas. This is for you! About my guest: I'm a small-town native Texan that moved to Houston and fell in love with the city over 20yrs ago. My life is real estate, art, riding my bike, and my dog Amelia. Lesli…

We know the market is going to change what does this look like, we explore this a bit but we also explore a change that may radically alter the way buyers buy homes in the United States and the change may reflect how houses are sold in Europe. Dean has a great perspective on real estate, his family have bought and sold many houses and he has worked…

This episode I talk with my broker at Coldwell Banker Realty about the changes coming to the market it is good to note that the changes we know are coming filter through slower than the news cycle would have the buyers and sellers understand. https://linktr.ee/livethesantacruzlifeBy Michele Replogle

Selling a house as-is is it that easy, is it a good idea, what are the pros and cons. What does selling as is mean. How does selling as is work? I explain here. Want to fix up your home yet your equity is tied up check this link to see how you can make improvements with no out of pocket costs. About Revitalize https://www.michelesellsforyou.com/rea…

This episode we talk about the newest component to waste services, food waste pick up and composting and how it works with Caylie Soon. We talk about what the curbside food scrap program is and why it is important. Caylie Soon Waste Reduction Assistant City of Santa Cruz cityofsantacruz.com/recycleright www.cityofsantacruz.com/foodwaste…

In this very fun episode we explore what it takes to have the best experience with a real estate agent. How to communicate, maybe lifestyle, understand the lines between friendship and professional. How a consumer can distinguish if they are a commodity = customer Or client =taken care of with heart Who you work with matters! Then story time! A Sou…

What is the function of Home Owners Associations and maybe Florida understand the real value of them. What is going to happen this year, is the market going to crash why not? What is going to happen in the future of real estate with the Department of Justice changing the rules on how real estate buyer agents get paid? Will a robot be showing you a …

This week, we are talking about all the pros and cons of living in Santa Cruz!! Though living here can be expensive, you get gorgeous weather and LOTS of activities to do - whether you are a pro or con you can never be bored here!By Michele Replogle

I speak with Douglas Katz is a 20 + veteran of the lending industry with a focus on helping divorcing couples manage the property disposition during a split. We learn about how to divorce and buy your next home. Doug talks about how properly understanding this process can help the divorce to go smoother and make it easy on the family. He also helps…

Santa Cruz market update for March, I talk statistics, the difference in median prices between real estate sites, Zillow, redfin and realtor.com they all cannot agree on the median home price. I also describe the selling/marketing cycle. Missing out on properties, it might be because you are at the end of the cycle of the listing. This market updat…

"Misinformation continues to prevent homeless people and their condition from being understood. Tatiana Stone who works with Wings a homeless advocacy organization, explains the top myths and misconceptions about the houseless community in Santa Cruz. While this is a local issue this can be applied to national houseless issues. For information on w…

This week we go from the sunny shores of Florida to the snow of the East. Jackie Baker explains buying in New Jersey and things to consider. Jackie outlines living in the suburbs that service New York, the environmental conditions to consider and the real estate market there. Jackie is extremely knowledgeable and warm. Jackie Baker Contact: Jackie …

Lauren took time to explain Florida to me, she describes how to prepare for Hurricanes, why people love Florida so much, we talk about HOA communities which is a big part of real estate home ownership in Florida. And we talk about Iguanas. Lauren is a knowledgeable realtor in South Florida who helps people buy and sell homes for primary, secondary,…

By Michele Replogle

Online home buying with Hailey Desser Hailey Desser works in Boca Raton Florida and works with clients from around the world and often they buy online without seeing the house! She tells funny stories of what can happen just wondering around filming... And she has a process to make the buying experience seam less. Moving to Florida check her out Ha…

New year resolutions! These are ones you can keep! I'm talking about your house. If you're a buyer, seller, homeowner, I recommend a process that my husband and I have been doing since 2007. This is a list of stuff that we want to get done on the house, get redone or improve. And we do it every year. So we make a list of stuff. In 2017, 18 and 19 t…

By Michele Replogle

Just a quick rant about the public and realtors, people seem to hate realtors and I tell stories here about things that the public does and it just seem like they are mad at realtors!By Michele Replogle

A great discussion with Michelle Bailey of Keller Williams, Michelle is honest about pros and cons of moving to Idaho. She gives an overview of Idaho, talks about pricing, infrastructure, traffic. Thinking of moving to Idaho? This episode is for you! Michelle Bailey Ben Kinney Team Boise, Keller Williams 208-949-3288 https://www.benkinney.com/boise…

Wire Transfer Scams are out there beware! I describe how my email was intercepted and it looked as though someone I was doing business was emailing me but it was a scam. This can happen to anyone listen to hear how easy it is to be fooled and what you should do to prevent it.By Michele Replogle

This episode explains what you should ask a realtor when hiring them, why ask these questions and how these questions make a difference in Santa Cruz. And for more questions contact me!!By Michele Replogle